press gaggle by gordon johndroe

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Press Gaggle by Gordon Johndroe CRAWFORD, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Crawford Center School 11:52 A.M. CDT MR. JOHNDROE: good morning. the President had his typical briefings this morning. He additionally taped the every week radio address, that is around the war within Iraq along with contains examples involving Iraqis stepping forward in order to defend their own democracy. I'd like to give the President's timetable regarding next week now. The Particular President will depart through Crawford upon Monday morning, August 27th. He will journey to Albuquerque, New Mexico and also go to a Folks for Pete Domenici reception at a private residence. Q open as well as closed? MR. JOHNDROE: Closed. The Particular President will then travel in order to Bellevue, Washington, to produce remarks at a Pals regarding Dave Reichert and the Washington State Republican Party. that reception is actually pool for cameras, open for correspondents. Your President then continues on to Reno, Nevada, where he'll remain overnight upon Monday. On Tuesday morning, August 28th, the President is likely in order to make remarks at the 89th Annual American Legion Convention within Reno, Nevada. Your President will focus about the Center East as well as why an upswing of your free as well as democratic Iraq is crucial to the way forward for this important region and to our very own nation's security. Your President will even offer an update on the developments we get been seeing around the ground in Iraq. Which afternoon the particular President will then travel for you to New Orleans, Louisiana, where he will remain overnight. On Wednesday, August 29th, the President and also Mrs. Bush will visit New Orleans as well as the Mississippi Gulf Coast. This specific will be the particular President's 15th visit to the region since Hurricane Katrina. The Particular President continues to adhere to through upon his commitment to help local citizens rebuild their own lives and also communities about the Gulf Coast. The Actual government offers provided more than $114 billion with regard to relief, recovery and rebuilding efforts, over $96 billion associated with which in turn may be disbursed or maybe is available for states to attract from. Your President and also Mrs. Bush go again to Washington about Wednesday evening. Another update from this morning: Your President called the Reverend Billy Graham to verify on him following his current surgery. These People were built along with a really great conversation along with we are in any position to record that the Reverend Graham can be resting comfortably. And using that, I will consider your own questions. Olivier. Q Gordon, The Particular Los Angeles Occasions reports which General Peter Pace is placed in order

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Page 1: Press Gaggle by Gordon Johndroe

Press Gaggle by Gordon Johndroe

CRAWFORD, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Crawford Center School

11:52 A.M. CDT

MR. JOHNDROE: good morning. the President had his typical briefings this morning. He additionallytaped the every week radio address, that is around the war within Iraq along with contains examplesinvolving Iraqis stepping forward in order to defend their own democracy.

I'd like to give the President's timetable regarding next week now. The Particular President willdepart through Crawford upon Monday morning, August 27th. He will journey to Albuquerque, NewMexico and also go to a Folks for Pete Domenici reception at a private residence.

Q open as well as closed?

MR. JOHNDROE: Closed. The Particular President will then travel in order to Bellevue, Washington,to produce remarks at a Pals regarding Dave Reichert and the Washington State Republican Party.that reception is actually pool for cameras, open for correspondents. Your President then continueson to Reno, Nevada, where he'll remain overnight upon Monday.

On Tuesday morning, August 28th, the President is likely in order to make remarks at the 89thAnnual American Legion Convention within Reno, Nevada. Your President will focus about theCenter East as well as why an upswing of your free as well as democratic Iraq is crucial to the wayforward for this important region and to our very own nation's security. Your President will evenoffer an update on the developments we get been seeing around the ground in Iraq. Which afternoonthe particular President will then travel for you to New Orleans, Louisiana, where he will remainovernight.

On Wednesday, August 29th, the President and also Mrs. Bush will visit New Orleans as well as theMississippi Gulf Coast. This specific will be the particular President's 15th visit to the region sinceHurricane Katrina. The Particular President continues to adhere to through upon his commitment tohelp local citizens rebuild their own lives and also communities about the Gulf Coast. The Actualgovernment offers provided more than $114 billion with regard to relief, recovery and rebuildingefforts, over $96 billion associated with which in turn may be disbursed or maybe is available forstates to attract from. Your President and also Mrs. Bush go again to Washington about Wednesdayevening.

Another update from this morning: Your President called the Reverend Billy Graham to verify on himfollowing his current surgery. These People were built along with a really great conversation alongwith we are in any position to record that the Reverend Graham can be resting comfortably.

And using that, I will consider your own questions. Olivier.

Q Gordon, The Particular Los Angeles Occasions reports which General Peter Pace is placed in order

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to advise the actual President privately in which so as to be able to alleviate strains on the U.S.military, the particular levels associated with -- troop levels throughout Iraq need to dropped byaround half. has General Pace provided any kind of such advice, either privately or maybe a formalreport, and also what's the response to that particular report?

MR. JOHNDROE: the President features received no suggestions regarding our long term forceposture inside Iraq, and also I would caution every person that among now and the subsequentapproximately 19 times we're going to visit a large amount of reporting by what various people arerecommending, what they're not recommending -- a lot more troops, much less troops, stay theparticular same. I believe we're planning to view a lot of that more than the particular next two-an--a-half weeks. The Particular most important thing is actually to wait pertaining to General Petraeusand also Ambassador Crocker to go back from Baghdad and help to make their particular documentfor you to Congress, the President and also the American people. Along With following that, thePresident will then make their own report for you to Congress.

Jeremy.

Q Gordon, provided Senator Warner's remarks yesterday, is the President reaching out to lawmakerson the Hill to always be able to bolster waning support towards his program within Iraq?

MR. JOHNDROE: Well, you know, I disagree with the notion of "waning support." I don't think thatSenator Warner's position on Iraq provides substantially changed. I'm not mindful of virtually anysort of announcements of anybody changing his or her votes; of Senator Warner saying he's planningto adjust his vote relating to assistance for your mission in Iraq. He developed a recommendation.He made a suggestion following his trip there in which maybe troop position or even posture couldchange.

But proper now, as I just said, regarding this news studies regarding other people'srecommendations, your President will listen to generals on the ground, Ambassador Crocker,Secretaries Rice as well as Gates, as well as members regarding Congress, just take in exactly whatthey must say, after which help to make suggestions on the means ahead. Nevertheless that isn'tcoming until next month.

Q Gordon, one of those members regarding Congress, Republican Pete Hoekstra was declaringnowadays that the White Residence requirements to maneuver away from focusing on creating thesteady democracy within Iraq. He referred to as that will focus, "too huge of the reach" you mayanticipate that will we are able to accomplish that, and a person also should instead focus instead insafety along with stability. Do you agree with this notion? Simply Because you can easily find otherpeople -- there have been a quantity of generals around the ground additionally reportedlyproclaiming that maybe it's a lot of of a reach to be able to have a secure democracy, maybe a strongman wants to become put in. What's the particular White Home view about that?

MR. JOHNDROE: Well, I would refer you as well as also members involving Congress for thePresident's remarks on Tuesday for the -- or even Wednesday, to the VFW, exactly where lotsregarding people decades ago had been stating exactly the actual same factor regarding Japan,South Korea. As Well As now those 2 countries tend to be amazing achievement stories throughoutAsia -- thriving democracies, allies of the United States.

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So the actual immediate goal inside Iraq is to carrysafety and stability, as well as for the Iraqi politicalleaders in order to bond and also forge severalagreements therefore this national unity governmentcould work together for your much better of Iraqis.

So I think that -- I feel to always be able to suggestthat people have to alter our aim away fromdemocracy, that they possess a democracy. That Theycome along with an elected government inside asovereign country. and that's what the Iraqi peoplewant. That They confirmed it when they went towards the polls.

Q Your Republican lobbying firm that's working to assist Allawi against Maliki, it's now turn out inwhich they're getting paid $300,000 for 6 weeks regarding work. and the person operating about theaccount will be Ambassador Robert Blackwill, who, while you know, will end up being the formerdeputy national security advisor; at 1 point has been the presidential envoy in order to Iraq. Justwhat does that will say concerning the President's policy which certainly 1 of his former deputynational security advisors is currently operating against Maliki?

MR. JOHNDROE: far whether it is for me for you to judge why folks sign contracts regardingwhatever reason. I'm sure these people use a desire to help out their particular client. Neverthelessthey're former administration officials; administration policy remains unchanged. Generally therecan always be a sovereign, elected government together with Prime Minister Maliki and thepresidency council. They Will tend to be working for you to occur up with some type of politicalaccommodation within Baghdad as well as that's where items stand in reality around the ground.

Mark.

Q Will Be it even now administration policy the U.S. commitment inside Iraq is not open-ended?

MR. JOHNDROE: I consider the actual President has made it clear that he ultimately would like tosee the united States inside a different configuration inside Iraq; there can be certainly withoutdoubt concerning that. Your surge had been designed, as we have mentioned repeatedly, to helpdeliver security for you to Iraq. We've seen that there are signs as well as signs and symptoms ofsuccess in that will front -- the actual NIE even discussed that will yesterday.

But obviously, since the President provides said, we'd such as to be inside a different position in aamount of point, but that's likely being driven through conditions about the ground.

Olivier.

Q Merely 2 quick ones. did you receive any kind of opportunity to follow up about the McConnellproblem I had yesterday, about the border crossings?

MR. JOHNDROE: Sure. I think over the past couple of years we've seen the quantity of Iraqisattempting to enter the country in the southwest border throughout two ways: one, seeking asylum;and, two, potentially illegal entry. Your quantity of asylum-seekers, according to Homeland Security,will be somewhere more than a hundred; your number of Iraqis wanting to enter throughout the

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country illegally is merely about a dozen or even so. Yet I believe for almost any various otherspecifics I'd refer a person to the Department of Homeland Security.

Q Okay. And Also today, again, any U.S. general throughout Iraq declared Iranian weapons flowstend to be increasing. Tend To Be individuals kinds involving weapons flows, are the type a casusbelli for your United States?

MR. JOHNDROE: I believe we've made it very clear that will Iranian activity inside Iraq provides notbeen helpful. Your Iranians state publicly each each time that they meet with Ambassador Crockerthat they want to attempt out any constructive role inside Iraq. Yet, in accordance with ourcommanders around the ground, we see a heightened flow of very deadly explosively formedprojectiles. Which is not playing the constructive role in Iraq. This is actually -- these weaponssupplied by Iranians to be able to militias are responsible for your deaths of American soldiers. Yoursupport of these militias is responsible for the deaths involving innocent Iraqis. This is anunderstatement for you to claim that which sort of activity just isn't useful, nor helpful.

Q but then why don't you stop it at the source? In your event that these flows are, within fact,leading to the deaths of Americans -- you've usually said that anyone simply were restrictingoperations in order to inside Iraq. Why is that? If, within fact, these weapons are killing Americans,you will want to just do it and tackle these prior to the threat materializes?

MR. JOHNDROE: The Actual Americans are now being killed inside Iraq and also U.S. forces aregenerally getting suitable force protection measures to offer with it.

Ben.

Q a couple concerns upon New Orleans. Within any large amount of very fundamental way, your citywill be nevertheless within shambles. There are neighborhoods inside ruins. There's pervasive crimealong with homelessness. Bottom line, a couple regarding years later, why hasn't youradministration done more to repair this problem?

MR. JOHNDROE: Well, I certainly disagree with the premise of the question. When I stated from thestart of the briefing, your government features provided $114 billion for the region, involving whichusually $96 billion continues in order to be disbursed or is obtainable towards the states.

I believe that this is the catastrophic organic disaster that people all understand goes to considerseveral time to -- for that Gulf Coast to recover. As Well As there are a new lot of good individuals inthe Gulf Coast Workplace led by simply Don Powell, operating using the states and furthermore thenearby governments. A Person know, this can end up being a combined effort, combined effort usingthe private sector concerned as well to rebuild New Orleans and also the whole Gulf Coast region.

But these sort of things are likely to consider -- they're going to take some time.

Q What's the President's assessment, then, regarding how progress is going? Is Actually he satisfiedwith the pace associated with progress, will he believe it's moving together with a smooth pace?

MR. JOHNDROE: you know, I believe I'm planning to wait until your President helps make remarksabout the Gulf Coast subsequent week, and leave it from that.

John.

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Q Gordon, there is any Ny Occasions story yesterday stating the particular administration was set toissue a regulation making it easier to complete mountaintop coal mining. What's the rationalebehind that? It's the controversial tactic.

MR. JOHNDROE: This specific is really a proposed rule that might address environmental concernsabout the disposal involving excessive mine spoil as well as coal preparation waste outsideassociated with the mine area. The idea would clarify existing requirements regarding mining withinalong with about streams, needs in which are not getting interpreted consistently over the country.This kind of rule can be designed to attain long-term stability, so, crucial that will you maintainingefficient environmental protections on this area.

The Workplace involving Surface Mining's environmental impact statement indicated that will therecould be simply no significant improve nor decline in mountaintop mining like a result of thisproposed rule. As Well As as before, all mining operations might have for you to abide by relevantfederal while stating statutes as well as regulations also since the Clean H2o Act.

Okay. Mark?

Q Can the President have got any regret that will $80,000 inside taxpayer funds is becomingcompensated to some couple which was forcibly removed from a presidential physical appearancethroughout West Virginia within 2004 along with sued the government and additionally thegovernment arranged this settlement?

MR. JOHNDROE: I've not discussed it with most the President, so I'm certainly not familiar.

Q Carry out you realize if the Presidential Advance Manual will be getting modified within in anykind of manner so that those who do nothing with all greater than have an anti-Bush slogan abouttheir particular tee shirt tend to be removed through presidential events?

MR. JOHNDROE: I'm certainly not mindful of whether as well as not the manual will be beingrevised or even not. I think you will find rules that will govern the conduct of activities atpresidential events the ones try to adhere to them and, I think, for your nearly all part, do.

Okay. Thank you.

END 12:05 P.M. CDT